Peridot

The Peridot has the official name “Olivine”, meaning “olive green” in French. Sometimes the Peridot is called “Chrysolite”, which, in Greek, translates to “golden stone”. However, some texts argue that the name “Peridot” came from the Greek word “Peridona”, with the meaning “to give richness”. The Peridot has the strength equal to 6.5-7 Mohs, with pure green as its most appreciated colour.

In ancient times, the Egyptian land of St. John, located in the Red Sea, was one of the only sources of Peridots. Sadly, this particular deposit is now entirely exhausted, though, since 1990, younger deposit sites have emerged, with Pakistan, China, Burma and Afghanistan as its homes. The birthplace of Peridot is Mogok, in Burma, and yields the most beautiful Peridot gemstones. Thanks to these new deposits, we are able to mine Peridots of finer quality: large, transparent crystals that are proudly called gemstones.

Both a day stone and a night stone, the Peridot keeps its shines even under artificial lighting, giving them the name “Evening Emerald”.